Craig Kimbrel has finished each of the past three seasons as the top reliever in Fantasy Source's Roto Rater. As a result, he's been the easy pick as the first RP off the board in 2012 and '13.

This year, his throne will be challenged.

Craig Kimbrel (AP Photo)

It's not necessarily because Kimbrel is slipping. His numbers regressed a bit last year, but in a vacuum, they're still elite. Instead, it's because '13 featured remarkable seasons by four other relievers:

Koji Uehara was amazing all season, especially after taking over as Boston's closer. His 0.57 WHIP was the lowest in major league history among pitchers with at least 20 saves, and his 12.2 K/9 ratio was eighth-highest among all closers.

Kenley Jansen once again dominated in the closer's role after starting the year as a setup man. His BB-rate (2.11 BB/9) and ERA (1.88) have improved each of the past three seasons, and his K-rate (13.0 K/9) remains elite.

Despite a regression in BB-rate and ERA, Aroldis Chapman led all relievers in K/9 ratio by a wide margin; his 15.83 mark was nearly two full strikeouts better than the next best pitcher. The only worry about Chapman is potential bouts of wildness.

Greg Holland had a rocky first week last year, but from April 9 on, he saved 46 of 48 games while posting a 0.69 ERA, 0.77 WHIP and 100 strikeouts in 65 innings. The only other closers with at least 100 strikeouts in that span were Jansen and Chapman.

Assuming all are closing on opening day, you can't go wrong with any of these pitchers. Kimbrel will still likely be selected first because of his track record and age -- at 25, he's the youngest of this group. However, unlike recent years, there won't be a huge drop-off after Kimbrel is picked. You could even see the rest of this group go within the next couple rounds.

Most fantasy owners avoid drafting relievers early, though. Good closers can always be found later, injuries are way too common, and getting hitters or starting pitching seems more important. But elite closers instantly become more valuable once the season starts, and these players were all top-40 pitchers anyway last year.

Of course, it's unlikely all five will start and finish the season as elite RP options. There will be injuries, slumps and surprise breakouts. But trying to figure out which will fall is nothing more than a guessing game. Uehara offers the most risk because of his age (39); Chapman is probably next because of his high BB-rate. But even with that said, you can make a strong case all of these pitchers should be off the board by the seventh round.

At this point, the only question is whether or not anyone can overtake Kimbrel for the top spot. If there was ever a year for that to happen, this is it.

And don't forget … St. Louis' Trevor Rosenthal was dominant in middle relief and had a star turn in the postseason last year, saving four games while striking out 18 in just 11.2 innings. As long as he remains in the Cardinals' bullpen, he has top-five RP potential and might offer more draft-day value than any RP.

3 UP

1. Glen Perkins, Twins. Perkins' first full season as Minnesota's closer couldn't have gone much better. He ranked in the top 10 in ERA, WHIP and K/9 ratio among all closers with at least 20 saves. Perhaps most notable is that after recently signing a four-year extension, Perkins likely won't be trade bait this year.

2. Steve Cishek, Marlins. Miami won just 64 games, but Cishek saved 34 of his 36 opportunities. He was also one of the top closers in baseball after May, posting a 1.33 ERA and 0.95 WHIP. Don't let the lack of name value scare you away.

3. Jim Henderson, Brewers. A hamstring injury disrupted Henderson's season, but when he closed, he was great. Henderson had a 2.41/1.02 line with 54 Ks in 41 innings during his two separate stints as Milwaukee's closer. His relatively shaky track record is a concern, but he has the talent.

3 DOWN

1. Jonathan Papelbon, Phillies. Papelbon's velocity (and strikeouts) plummeted last year, and he was much more hittable as a result. The rest of his peripherals were great, so a return to form isn't out of the question. However, at 33, Papelbon could be in decline.

2. Huston Street, Padres. The strikeouts dropped off and the homers went up -- a bad combo for the perennial trade candidate. Even worse, Street wound up on the DL for the fifth straight season.

3. Fernando Rodney, Mariners. Despite a skyrocketing BB-rate, Rodney wasn't that bad in 2013. However, he was well off his remarkable '12 pace. His K-rate went way up, so it's possible he'll actually be underrated heading into this season if he can find a happy medium with his walks and batting average on balls in play.

BUST OR TRUST

Jason Grilli, Pirates. Grilli was one of the best stories of 2013, spending most of the first half as the top fantasy closer. But a strained right forearm sidelined him for six weeks, and he didn't earn his closer's job back until late September. Grilli still had a fantastic year, significantly lowering his walks (2.34 BB/9) while maintaining an elite strikeout rate (13.3 K/9). The talent is there, but at 37 with a history of serious injuries, he's a risk. You might not have to reach for him -- and he should produce at an elite level while he's on the field -- but the injury factor here is too big to ignore. Unless you get Grilli's handcuff (which will cost you a valuable roster spot), you'll have to constantly be on alert for the slightest arm soreness. That will just handcuff you as a fantasy owner. Verdict: Bust.

REMEMBER THEM?

Neftali Feliz and Joakim Soria, Rangers. Tommy John surgery limited Feliz to just 14 major league appearances the past two years, but the 25-year-old righty is reportedly healthy and ready for action. He'll work as a reliever and is expected to have the first crack at the Rangers' ninth-inning job, though nothing is set in stone. Feliz has been throwing in the 90-92 mph range this spring, down from the mid-to-upper-90s when he closed for Texas in 2011. If Feliz doesn't get his velocity back, he likely won't win the closer's job, giving way to former All-Star closer Joakim Soria. Soria, who's also undergone Tommy John surgery, had a rocky first season in Texas last year, averaging 5.32 walks per nine innings. He did post an excellent 10.65 K/9 ratio and induce ground balls at a 51.8-percent clip, though, so there's reason to believe he'll be much better this season. Still, the Rangers seem to prefer Feliz as a ninth-inning option if he's up to it. Either way, both are intriguing fantasy options if they get a chance to close, so watch this competition closely throughout the spring and early in the season.

TOUGH ACT TO FOLLOW

For the first time since 1996, fantasy owners won't be calling Mariano Rivera's name on draft day. The Sandman has retired, creating an open spot in the Yankees' bullpen that even the most cold-blooded of closers would be intimidated to fill. Former setup man David Robertson will get the first chance and, assuming he sticks, he profiles as a potentially elite fantasy option. Just look at how his stats stack up to Rivera's over the past three seasons:

David Robertson

IP

ERA

WHIP

K/9

W

SV

Roto Rater Value

2011

66.2

1.08

1.13

13.5

4

1

6.66

2012

60.2

2.67

1.17

12.0

2

2

4.38

2013

66.1

2.04

1.04

10.5

5

3

6.13

Mariano Rivera

IP

ERA

WHIP

K/9

W

SV

Roto Rater Value

2011

61.1

1.91

0.90

8.8

1

44

9.30

2012*

8.1

2.16

0.96

8.6

1

5

1.35

2013

64

2.11

1.05

7.6

6

44

10.00

*Season ended on April 30 because of torn ACL

Robertson's peripherals compare favorably with Rivera's, and his strikeouts are considerably better. Rivera's biggest edge was in WHIP, but Robertson even bettered him there last season. Obviously, Rivera was much more proven and more consistent than the 28-year-old Robertson, but the Yankees -- and fantasy owners -- might make a seamless transition.

Robertson's nerves are the only worry. Even Yankees' management expressed concern that he can't handle the job. He'll have value regardless of his role, but the Yankees have, fittingly, recorded 42 more saves than any other team since 1996 and are tied for the second-most saves since 2010. Fantasy owners should be excited about Robertson – or whoever ultimately inherits the Yankees' closer gig.

FOR THE WIN

Reliever wins might be both the flukiest stat in all of baseball. But some relievers seem to have a knack for picking up Ws, whether it's because of luck or usage patterns. Here are the top win vultures among closers and all relievers the past two years. There might be some "bonus" fantasy value among this bunch (minimum 40 saves).

RP Wins 2012-13

Closers

Ws

All other RPs

Ws

Jonathan Papelbon, PHI

10

Santiago Casilla, SF

14

Aroldis Chapman, CIN

9

John Axford*, MIL/STL

12

Steve Cishek, MIA

9

Bobby Parnell, NYM

10

Greg Holland, KC

9

Heath Bell, MIA/ARI

9

Kenley Jansen, LAD

9

Joaquin Benoit, DET

9

Joe Nathan, TEX

9

Tyler Clippard, WAS

8

Sergio Romo, SF

9

Brandon League, SEA/LAD

8

Addison Reed, CWS

8

Alfredo Aceves, BOS

6

Ernesto Frieri, SD/LAA

7

Jonathan Broxton, KC/CIN

6

Craig Kimbrel, ATL

7

Fernando Rodney, TB

7

*Expected to close this year

Source: Statspass.com

SETUP FOR SUCCESS

It's becoming commonplace for Roto and even some head-to-head owners to draft at least one middle reliever, and if you're not hip to this trend, you should be. Last season, six of the top 20 RPs in the Fantasy Source Roto Rater started the year as setup men, and four of the top 30 RPs never even inherited a closer's job.

Non-closers can have their season-to-season values inflated by wins, but fantasy owners would still be foolish to ignore these elite sources of WHIP, ERA, and K/9 (minimum 40 innings).